DYNAMIC ECOSYSTEM

CHAPTER 8

8.1 The Abiotic and Biotic component of the environment

Dynamic ecosystem
Components of ecosystem

Biotic

Abiotic

 Biotic components
1. Living components in the ecosystem animals and plant. 2. Environmental factors that affect the lives and distribution of organism: i. pH ii. Temperature iii. Microclimate iv. Light v. Topography vi. humudity

Abiotic component
1. Non-living components and factors in the ecosystem

Environmental factors that affect the lives and distribution of organism pH level

1. Acidic condition suitable for maize and pineapple 2. Alkaline condition suitable for coconut
Topography 1. The main factor is altitude. 2. Different plant grow at different altitudes.

Microclimate 1. Climate in a microhabitat 2. Include humidity, temperature, light intensity and atmospheric condition which the organism lives. 3. Influences the number and distribution of organism.

Temperature 1. Affect the physiological activities of plant and animal. 2. 0 40 is the range temperature. 3. Thermophilic bacteria can survive in hot temperature.

Light intensity 1. Important in photosynthesis 2. Effect animal behaviours. 3. Tall tree expose to high intensity of sunlight. 4. Ferns survives under the cover shady trees.
Humidity 1. Amount of water vapour present in the air. 2. Influences the rate of the loss of water from organism 3. Humidity low water evaporates from the moist surface at a faster rate. 4. organism like frog, snake, liverworts and mosses prefer humid areas

Biotic component of an ecosystem

Biotic component of an ecosystem

Producer (1 st trophic level) Green plant Provide energy in the food chain Convert light energy to chemical energy in food compound. Primary consumers (2nd trophic level) Herbivores Obtain energy and nutrient from producers.

Secondary consumers ( 3rd trophic level) Carnivores Obtain energy by eating primary consumers. Tertiary consumers (4th trophic level) Carnivores obtain energy by eating primary / secondary consumers. Decomposers Bacteria and fungi Decompose dead animals and plants into minerals

Food chain
Show a sequence of organism through which energy is transferred. Start with producer and end with consumers. Each stage in a food chain known as a trophic level.

grass
Producers 1st trophic level

grasshopper
Primary Consumers 2nd trophic level herbivore

bird
Secondary consumers 3rd trophic level carnivores

snake
Tertiary Consumers 4th trophic level carnivores

Food web 1. Food web consist of many food chain

 Energy flows through a food web. Nor all the energy is transferred to the next trophic level, some is lost as heat.

The number of organism decrease. The size of organism increase.

Interaction between biotic component

1. a) b) c) d) 4 types of interaction: Symbiosis Saprophytism Prey-predators Competition

Symbiosis
An interaction between individuals of different species

Commensalism
One species benefits while the other derives any benefit or harm.

Parasitism
Relationship between two organism in which one organism benefit and the other is harmed.

Mutualism
Relationship between 2 species of organism which both benefit.

1.

Commensalism

Epiphyte A plant that grow upon another plant. It can make its own food and has special roots to anchor itself firmly on a branch Epizoic An animal that grow upon another animals

Orchid

Remora fish and shark

2.
i. a) b)

Parasitism
Ectoparasite A parasite that lives outside its host body. Adaptations of ectoparasites: They have special hooks (eg: leaches) They have sharp mouth for sucking, biting and hooking. Eg: ticks, lice and mealybugs

ii. Endoparasite
A parasite that lives inside its host body. a) They have less nervous system and sense organs. b) They do not have complex digestive tract. Absorb nutrient through whole body surface. c) Have specific protective cuticles and produce mucus and anti-enzymes secretion. d) Eg: worms, flukes, plasmodium, tapeworm.

3. Mutualism
i. Both species could not live separately but dependent on each other to survive. ii. Protozoan live in the intestine of termites. They help to digest cellulose into glucose. iii. Bacteria in root nodules makes nitrate. iv. Eg: lichens, sea anemone and hermit crab.

b. Saprophytism
i. ii. iii. iv. v. A type of interaction where living organism feed on dead organic matter for food. Eg: saprophyte organism that depend fully on dead organism for food. Saprophyte cannot make food for itself. It produce specific enzymes to digest and decompose the dead complex.

c) Prey-predator

i.

Interaction between two organism in which one will hunt and kill the other for food. ii. The animal which is killed for food is the prey. while the animal that kills is the predator . iii. Prey-predator relationship is important to regulate the population of different animals in an ecosystem.

 The dynamic relationship between the population of prey and predator: Population of animal/number of individual

d. Competition
1. The interaction among living organism that share the limited resources or basic needs in a habitat. 2. Two type of competitions; i. Intraspecies competition ii. Interspecies competition

i. Intraspecies competition
A competition within the same species of a population for resources. Plants usually compete for living space, sunlight, nutrient and water. Animals usually compete for food, shelter and breeding mates.

ii. Interspecies competition A competition between individuals from different species for resources such as food.

8.2 Colonisation and Succession in an Ecosystem Habitat A normal environment where organism live and provides the organism with the basic resources of life such as food, water and shelter.

Species A group of organism of the same species living in the same habitat.

Population
A group of organism of the same species living in the same habitat at the same time.

Eg: elephant living in a jungle.

grasshoppers living in a paddy field.

Community
All the different population of plant and animals living in the same area. The members are independent and interact with one another in order to survive. A change in any population will affect the distribution of other population.

Niche
1. 2. a) b) c) Role that an organism plays in an ecosystem. The niche of a population include; The range of temperature at which it lives. Type of food it eat Space occupies

3. Two species cannot share the same ecological niche.

 Colonisation and succession

Colonisation take place in newly formed areas where no previously existed Succession will replace by more stable community which in equilibrium with its environment.

Pioneer species The First colonisers Survive on dry and poor nutrient soil. Have dense root system to bind with sand particles and hold water. Short life cycle. When die, add to the humus content of the soil

Successor species Grow bigger than the pioneer species. Reducing the amount of sunlight that reaches ground. Have small wind dispersable seed which able to spread and grow rapidly. Change the structure and quality of the soil make more conductive for larger plants to grow.

Dominant species Grow faster Modify the environment which allow larger trees to grow. Dominant species/shrubs will replace by forest floor species which require lower light sunlight. Dominant species replace by climax trees.

 Colonisation and succession in a Mangrove swamps

 found in tropical and subtropical regions where freshwater and salt water meet. So plant grow at mangrove swamp well adapted to these condition.
Characteristic mangrove swamp Soft Muddy soil/muddy bank Salty water/high concentration of salt. Low level of oxygen. Expose to high intensity of sunlight.

Mangrove leave
Mangrove leave have thick cuticle help them reduce transpiration during hot weather. Have succulent and able to store water.

Mangrove root
Root cell have a higher osmotic pressure than surrounding salt water./cell sap of root not loss water by osmosis. Salt water excreted through hydathodes, the pores in the epidermis of the leaves.

Mangrove seed
Seed able to germinate while still being attached to the parent tree. Viviparity Viviparity increase the chances of survival of the seedling, because they can float on the water.

 Support by long underground cable root. Protect from strong coastal wind. Thin and vertical breathing root. Root system collect sediment including organic matter from decaying plant.

 Rhizophora sp replace the pioneer species. Prop root/aerial root play important role in aeration. Aeration also take place through lenticels found on the tree bark of rhizophora sp. this type of root trap mud, creating a firmer soil structure. Ground become higher and soil became drier.

 Replace by Bruguirrea sp. Buttress root to trap more silt and mud. Modifies the soil structure gradually. Over time will be replace by Nypa fructican and Pandanus sp. Transition from mangrove swamp to tropical rain forest.

Colonisation and Succession in Pond

SPM 2007 Paper 2 Question 9

 Activities of the pioneer species cause a change in a habitat, make it more suitable for other species.

The remains of plant and decayed bodies deposited on the pond bed.
Water level in the pond decrease/pond becomes shallower. Which will add nutrient to the pond water and change the pH of the water.

 This favours the growth of floating plants which replace the pioneer species. Floating plants cover the water surface, preventing light from penetrating the water and causing a slower rate of photosynthesis in the pond.

Causes many of the submerged plants to die and sink to the bottom of the pond.
Raising the pond bed/making the pond more shallow.

 Floating plants are gradually replaced by amphibians plants. The successor causes further changes to the pond, making it unfavourable to the amphibians plants to grow.

 Finally the amphibians plants are replaced by a land community which dominates the area.

8.3 Population Ecology

The study of the relationship between two different population and the environment. Characteristic of population 1. Population density a) Number of organism per unit area or volume. b) Affected by various factors such as the abiotic and biotic factors, birth rate, death rate, immigration and emigration.

 How to estimate the size and density of a population? a) Direct counting b) Sampling technique i. To estimate the total population size of the organisms.

 The quadrat sampling technique.

1. This method is used to collect the quantitative information about the structure and compositions of land plants. 2. The size of a quadrat depends on the size and density of the plants sampled. 3. An area for sampling can be chosen systematically or at random. 4. This technique can be used to determined:
A. Frequently The number of times a particular species is found present when a quadrat is thrown a certain number of times.

number of quadrat containing the species

Frequency =
number of quadrat

X 100

B. Density Is the mean number of individual of a species per unit area.

total number of individual of a species in all quadrat Density = number of quadrat X quadrat area

X 100

C. Percentage coverage Is an indication of how much area of the quadrat is occupied by a species.

ariel coverage of all quadrat (m2)

Percentage coverage = number of quadrat X quadrat area

X 100

The capture, mark, release and recapture technique

1. Technique to estimate the population of mobile animals such as small mammals, butterflies, birds, woodlice and insects. 2. Specific animal samples is capture and marked with a ring, a tag or coloured ink. 3. Then release into the general population 4. After a period of time, a second sample is capture and the number of marked animals is recorded.

(number of indivudual in the first sample) X (number of individual in the second sample) Population size = number of marked individual recaptured

8.4 Biodiversity
Classification Of Organism

Prokaryotae / Monera Unicellular Do not have nuclear membrane Simple organisation without muscle No tissue formation Eg: Bacteria

Protista
Almost unicellular Have nuclear membrane Simple organisation without muscle. Some of the organisation have both animals and plants characteristic Eg: Algae, protozoa

Fungi Do not have chlorophyll Have chitin wall but not cellulose Produce spores Most organism have hyphae Saprophytic organism Eg: mushroom

Plantae
Multicellular organisms Have chlorophyll Have tissues and cell Able to produce their own food through photosynthesis

Animalia
Multicellular animals Do not have chlorophyll Active and can move Can reproduce

 Hierarchy in the classification of organisms

Linnaeus Binomial System

1. A system of naming organism scientifically at international level. 2. Characteristic of scientific name based on Linnaeus Binomial System: i. The two names must be in Latin ii. The generic name is in capital letter while the specific name is in small letter. iii. The Latin names are written in italics or underlined separately.

 Example :
Common name Scientific name

Tiger Leopard Lion

Panthera tigris Panthera pardus Panthera leo

8.5

The impact of Microorganism on Life

Bacteria (kingdom Monera) 1. Unicellular organism 2. Have cell wall (polymer) 3. Asexual reproduction through binary fission. 4. Do not have nuclear membrane 5. Shape a) Spherical(coccus) b) Rod-shaped (bacillus)or spiral (spirillum)

Algae Semi-aquatic plant, autotrophs Have chlorophyll and chloroplast Live in moist and extremely low light area Cell wall made up of cellulose

Fungi ( kingdom Fungi) Unicellular or multicellular Do not have chlorophyll Asexual reproduction through spores and budding. Heterotrophs Eg: mucor sp and yeast

Protozoa ( kingdom Protista) Aquatic unicellular organism, hetetrophs Live freely in the moist area Reproduce through cell division Use flagella, cilia or pseudopodia to move Eg: Euglena sp, Paramecium sp, Amoeba sp

Virus Smallest, microscopic organism. Depends on host fro nutrition, reproduction and respiration. Compose of DNA or RNA, surrounded by a protein. Eg: T4 bacteriophage and tobacco mosaic virus

Abiotic components affecting the activity of microorganism.

1. microorganism affected by abiotic components such as: a) Temperature b) Nutrient c) Light d) pH level

Refer text book page 193.

The role of useful micoorganism in the ecosystem

Decomposition Decomposers break down the dead plant and animal and waste product of animal and release nutrient into soil.
Saprophytic bacteria and fungi

The nitrogen cycle

1. Plant cannot absorb nitrogen directly from atmospheric. 2. Plant can only absorb in the form of ammonium ions and nitrate ions.

Alimentary canal of termites

Contain cellulose produce by protozoa Digest cellulose

The Harmful Microorganism

1. 2. a) b) c) d) Microorganism cause disease called pathogens. Method of controlling pathogens: Antibiotics Vaccine Antiseptic disinfectant

Transmission of disease
1. a) b) c) Method of transmission of disease food Water Droplet transmission = droplet from the mouth or nose that release and float in the air. d. Airborne transmission =Pathogens changes into spores and transmitted through air.

e) Vectors = pathogens transmitted by organism such as mosquitoes and flies. e) Contact = Infected skin disease through sharing towel, clothing or bedlinen.